Desert Heart
by ShiroKuro
Summary: Gaara of the Sand, the Asura that loves himeself. Gaara has made an oath to find another life to love, but will he succeed in finding someone? GaaraxSakura
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Prolouge**

* * *

The sand seemed to go on forever, never giving away its secretes. Never giving away what it knew, never giving itself away for any human being, but when it did it was a rare moment and a miraculous and wondrous moment at that. He had never given his heart away to it and it had never revealed itself to him.

Gaara of the Sand, an Asura That Loves Himself 1.

He ran his hand thru his hair and looked away from the rolling dessert. His hand unconsciously touched the kanji for love on his forehead before it fell away to his side. He was ever alert however, but his eyes gave nothing away of it.

He was beyond the fools, they would never reach his level, and there was no one to cause him pain. So there was no one to stop him if he left, no one to care. He only had himself to love. His mother had despised him and only left him as a curse to the village. But he had lived through it, he had become the despised curse that they had wanted him to be. So in truth he had not become a disappointment.

The idea to find another had sprung up unbidden in his sleep, and persisted for many days. The idea had turned into something more, into a plan. And a plan would eventually be followed by action. He would find another to love and to hold forever, this was his oath. It would keep him alive, keep him until it must. It might make him happy.

X.x.X

He had stolen away in the cover of the night, past the gate guards, past his siblings, past the Kazekage. He would no longer be anyone's tool, he would belong to only himself. At least that is what he hoped to accomplish, for there was no telling in the world what would be ones own fate. Now he had another goal, he would still find another to love but he would chose wisely.

X.x.X

"He's gone Kankuro," Temari said.

"I know Temari. But there was nothing we could have done about it. Nothing at all," he said. She let the words die in the air and said nothing as she exited the room. She stared up the huge moon and wished that she could pocket it and keep its distant and cold glow with her forever. Gaara would have appreciated that, the moon never concerned itself with worldly affairs, and it isolated itself. But it was a very powerful and decisive force, it controlled the tides and thus the lives of so many, it kept the time and marked it with its face, its surface was constantly battered, the marks only erased by even bigger ones, it shunned the earth and took nothing in but the sunlight and even that it reflected away the beams of light from itself, keeping only the heat of the rays. So much like Gaara.

X.x.X

He looked at the moon, recognizing that it had been foolish to leave when it was still out. The beams of light could have given away his position. But he had not been foolish in the respect that he had not covered his tracks. He would keep away from all the Shinobi villages, which would be the smartest thing to do at the moment. It would be many years before they forgot his face, and the tattoo wasn't helping but of course removing it was out of the question. The thought had never passed his head.

He would leave Suna (Hidden Sand), he was close to the border to the lands that were not controlled by Kage's. Nothing and no one would stop him from reaching his new goal! He would live and find a life to love.

**End Chapter One**

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1 An asura is a demon in Hindu mythology.

So the first chapter is done. I wonder if I should end this story, since I already have one up and this one came out of boredom, not that I think this one sucks or anything, but still... And I don't want to take up another story if no one is going to read. So...! Should I end this story early on or not? Please review and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter I: Gaara of the Sand

**Chapter I: Gaara of the Sand**

* * *

Two damned years and he had found nothing but scorn, nothing but hate for what he was. Perhaps it was time he went back to the village? He had never been labeled as a missing-nin. He knew for a fact that he had never been hunted, never been looked for. His feelings were mixed on that account. But it didn't matter he had no choice but to go back. 

He was already fifteen years old. Red brown hair bleached slightly by the sun, his gourd still hung around his back and he still wore his headband, it had never occurred to him to take it off. He had wondered outside of the main Shinobi Villages and had found them disappointing, but even as he traveled toward Suna (Hidden Sand) the memories of a world without much shinobi became an evanescent memory, one to be buried and never brought up to examine.

X.x.X

He had met with no celebrations, no happy expressions. His presence simply became tolerated and accepted over time. The Kazekage had said nothing. And only Temari had some pleasure in her face as he faced her, which had surprised him to no end. But in the end she was only one person, a star among millions.

He became Chûnin and was almost glad for the opportunities that that presented, he could go out of his normal boundaries. He would no longer need a team, or rather he was not assigned one. Then the request came, he was still the Kazekage's son. He was still part of their politics. He accepted the hope and the oath once again ignited by a secrete source that he knew nothing off. He would go to Konoha.

X.x.X

He did not like the cool forest and cold temperature. He had never realized how much he had come to be connected to the desert even thought he could not love it. He could love no one for that matter, but the thought came and went never truly taking root in his mind.

The people here were lively and happy, but not soft and naïve. He gave them that much.

They still looked on at him oddly but he gave then no reason too look, gave them no opportunity to inspect him. Never let them wonder who he was. He was not hated here, not yet at least.

X.x.X

He detested the room he had been given, hated the dull gray-white walls bare of adornments, and hated the small bed with deep gray cover over it. He hated everything about it, it was a prison to him. The first day he was there he was no more in there then six hours at most.

He saw all he had to see within the day. There was nothing that he cared to look at.

Then of course there was that day, a week after he had arrived. The day that altered something within him, that caused a small change. He had learned however that it was the small things that mattered where great changes were concerned.

X.x.X

Something had caught his attention as he walked the streets. Something loud and flashy.

He looked up from his thoughts and saw a group of teenagers most of them his age, some a bit older. But the ones that stood out among them was a blond blue-eyed guy and a black haired ebony-eyed one. One for being full of light and laughter but the other full of something dark and brooding.

He had not realized he had stopped in the middle of the street until he was pushed out of the way roughly and almost slamming into the group of the talking teenagers. His anger flared partly at himself for not having noticed but mostly for the one who had pushed him, thought there was no one who gave the indication that they had. He was silent and menacing as he looked about for the offender, he found no one that gave the indication. His eyes inevitably fell on the group and he was quiet as he gave them a slight frown.

"You look ready to kill us," the blond one said suddenly to him. A pink haired girl slapped the blond harshly on the head, or at least she tried to. The blond ducked at the last possible moment. The pink haired girl walked up to him nervously.

"I want to apologize for Naruto, he has a very big mouth," she said as she lowered her gaze. But he knew that it was because she wouldn't meet his eyes, not many people did or ever had. He didn't nod in acknowledgment he merely gave her a calculating look that made her step back.

"She apologized for Naruto the least you could do is at least accept it," the black haired one said to him in cold tones.

"Man you have freaky eyes!" Naruto commented. They all looked at him in horror except the black haired one, he was measuring Gaara as surely as he was measuring him.

"Your name means shrimp," Gaara commented as Naruto had. Naruto only grinned. Gaara glared however. "And you have marks on you face. So what is your point about my eyes?" Naruto stared at him for a while an incredulous look on his face then he started laughing.

"What is your name?" the black haired one asked.

"Gaara," then after a pause, "and you?"

"Uchiha Sasuke," he said. Gaara was genuinely surprised. He had heard about the Uchiha's a truly tragic clan and the possessors of the Sharingan. Perhaps there were indeed interesting things in this village after all.

"And I'm Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto proclaimed proudly.

"I never asked for your full name did I?" Gaara said coldly then added before Naruto could respond, "I didn't think so."

"What your problem! Naruto was trying to be nice," the pink haired girl said. He studied her for a moment and the look made her uncomfortable, he could tell. He could see at first glance that she was neither worth his time nor the loudmouth brat.

"I never asked for that either," Gaara cut in before she could say more. She went red with anger.

Naruto had a pensive look on his face for a moment as he stared at Gaara.

"Gaara of the Sand. Son of the Kazekage, siblings Temari and Kankuro. Impressive linage," Naruto said. A questioning glance from Gaara prompted him to say as he shrugged, "I make it my business to know Konoha's politics. I'm going to be Hokage someday day."

"Doubtful," Gaara said, "it takes more then knowing to become a Kage."

Naruto looked slightly offended at the comment but then he smiled as the way of showing that he was going to let he comment slide. Gaara narrowed his eyes at him and said nothing. He was going to go out of his mind if he didn't get out soon. He felt the anger pulsating in his veins and he didn't know why.

But of course he knew why. They were friends they care about each other. He had not found his other life to love.

He left without saying a word, and didn't look around but he heard Naruto's voice surprisingly well over the noise of the crowd.

"Well nice to have met ya! Panda Eyes!" a shot of anger made his back straighten. But he refused to turn around to acknowledge the insult.

X.x.X

He couldn't stop thinking about them as he walked to his apartment. He would seek them out and know their secret. Share their bond.

**End Chapter One**

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Thanks for the review!!!! But in my defense (poorly constructed) it was only a prologue, thought at the time I had not realized it, this is the real chapter one. This is longer and about the average of most of the pages. If it's bad I'm about this close to falling sleep. (_puts fingers together within millimeters of each other). _Anyways thanks for reading if at all. _(falls asleep over keyboard.)_


	3. Chapter II: Welcome Home

**Desert Heart Chapter II: Welcome Home**

* * *

He saw it all, in his minds eye. 

The rolling sand, the winds, the infernal heat, Suna.

_-Flashback-_

They had been surprised, well that and afraid.

He felt the first stirrings of anger, then amusement as he was presented before them without ceremony. They had quite recently… grown. Temari had developed a bit more and was more feminine then before, her face was taking on the features of a truly beautiful woman. Kankuro too had grown bigger, with the marks still on his face, and Karasu still on his back. _Still probably just as weak as before when it comes to close combat,_ Gaara thought in the back of his head measuring him with a calculating look. Temari herself had not grown out of her fan, however. _They tie themselves to specific objects, fools, take away their toys and they are useless._

Temari blushed slightly at the stranger before her, because that is what he really was, a total and complete stranger. His limbs had grown long and his figure was graceful, his face was smooth and flawless, without so much paleness as before, he looked a year older then he really was, this creature before her was handsome despite the cold green gaze and the black lines eyes. He was wrapped up in black clothes, the garb of a proper shinobi.

She blinked at what she thought she had seen, she shook her head to get the image out of her head. The look of pain and loneliness on that face… A trick of the light. He felt her gaze on him.

"Temari," he said quietly, so much so that she almost didn't hear him. She gave a small weak smile of acknowledgement before his eyes settled on Kankuro, the only other one present there. Apparently the Kazekage had other, more important, matters to attend to. "Kankuro, I see you haven't grown out of playing with dolls."

"G-Gaara-sama," Kankuro said submissively, stammering over the name, "welcome back to Suna."

"Shut up," Gaara said coldly and walked past him, "never did learn when to shut your mouth did you?"

"Gaara please," Temari said pleading, Gaara's fixed his eyes on her, "The way people are afraid of you, even me, it's not what you want, is it? Don't let it begin again. Please?"

"It never ended," Gaara said and walked away without a look back.

"I don't know why you try to reason with him," Kankuro commented, clearly relieved that Gaara had left, "he still freaks me out after all this time!"

"Oh, shut up Kankuro!" Temari hissed a halfhearted warning. Kankuro smirked.

X.x.X

He stared at the package with suspicion, it was brightly wrapped in bright red and orange, a horrible combination in his opinion. He looked about his room, everything was as he had left it with a delicate layer of dust over everything. There was no one there however.

He picked up the package gingerly and could help but hold it for a second in his hands. It was light, probably had nothing in it. He tore at the wrapping unceremoniously. It fluttered to the ground, like a leaf in autumn.

He held a crimson sash in his hands, the edges were trimmed in gold, and it was long, new, and quite beautiful. The material was soft and strong, he tossed off the tattered dark blue one he had been wearing before and wrapped the red one securely around his gourd and across his chest.

His hands moved to toss away the blue sash and after a moments pause he folded the blue one and tucked it away in a dark corner. He stepped outside and found Temari waiting for him.

"I'm glad you liked the sash," she said, Gaara looked at her.

"My other one was worn," he said and started walking away.

Temari fell in step with him, he sped up and she too increased her speed. He pointedly looked forward, his hands balled up into two hard fists.

"Go away," he muttered between clenched teeth.

"You haven't changed have you?" Temari said angrily crossing her arms but still keeping in step. _What a pest_. Gaara thought.

"What do you know about change?" he asked coldly.

"Plenty. Enough to know you're still the same," she said pouting slightly.

Gaara stopped in his tracks. Temari barely had time to react before Gaara pinned her harshly to the wall, a kunai at her throat. She whimpered as she felt the shot of pain run up and down her arm and settle around her wrist. He had slammed her to the wall and was holding her wrist painfully. Then she grinned at Gaara through watery eyes. He looked down and saw a kunai dangerously near his stomach. His sand loomed behind him suddenly, assuming the shape of a flower in bloom before it neared her. She was amazed and in complete awe. When had he learned to control it like that?

She went for the stab, but of course the sand stopped it.

"You little fool, didn't think you could hurt me that way could you?" Gaara said venomously, contempt for her as a shinobi clear in his voice. He pressed the kunai closer to her throat and drew blood. The purest of fears started to awaken within Temari, a simple and primal terror coursed through her veins. She started to struggle against her brother's grasp, but he only pressed her harder against the wall. She felt a bone break somewhere.

She was crying, biting her lower lip so that she wouldn't cry out. If she was going to die, she didn't want to do it screaming like a child. Specially in front of Gaara.

She knew what happened when Gaara smelled blood, had seen it take place.

Indeed he felt the excitement spread from his belly to the rest of his body, it was a feeling close to lust, but not for the want of another body to join his own, he quite simply wished to strip this body of life.

Teardrops fell on his hand.

He savored the feeling of excitement a second or two longer, before he pushed it away into the shadows of his mind.

He let Temari fall like a crumpled doll, barely conscious. He whipped his bloodied kunai clean on her jacket. After all it wouldn't do to spoil his clothes. He took out a rough piece of cloth and crouched near Temari, he proceeded to wipe away her tears. Her eyes opened slight with an unfocused look to them.

"Gaara-kun?" she whispered, he stiffened at the familiarity as she said his name but said nothing. Her fingers brushed his hands, he pulled his hand away immediately as if electricity had passed between them with that little physical contact, "why didn't you kill me?"

Gaara was silent, he was thinking. _How amusing. She confronted me, knowing full well what I could do to her. She probably thought that I had gone soft. He._

"Did you expect met to?" he asked as his hands traveled near his leg and he took out a bandage. He cleaned the wound on her neck, careful not to touch her skin. She spoke as he pressed it tentatively around her neck.

"Yes," she whispered, "I came here was because I was hopping that that the reason you came back was because you didn't feel so alone anymore. So unloved. Maybe a little kinder." Gaara frowned as he realized he would have to touch her to mover her head forward to allow him to continue wrapping the bandage around her throat. She barely managed to lean her head in as she saw his hesitation. Gaara continued to wrap it around her.

He said nothing as he firmly tied off the bandage.

"What happened when you were out there?" she said as she leaned her head back against the wall to rest her swimming head. "You probably saw a lot of wonderful things."

"Yes. That and a lot things I have no desire to remember," he said softly as he got up. He turned her back to her and stared at the sky, directly into to sun. The sun, making him look like he was ablaze with golden fire, briefly illuminated his figure. Before he ruined the effect by turning his face toward Temari, and glowered at her daring to ask her what those things were. Temari took the hint, and waved her only useful hand at him as a sign that she wouldn't.

"And Gaara?" she said, he turned fully to face her, "welcome home. I really am glad you came back." She let out a heavy sigh before she allowed the darkness to roll over her.

Welcome home indeed.

_-End Flashback-_

He leaned out the window letting the sunlight burn into his eyes.

They had found them that way, with Gaara a bit ways off, arms crossed staring at the sun, but still with her.

The event was never spoken off between the two siblings, there had been no need of it.

The calls of birds were sharp and clear about him, but it was otherwise silent as well devoid of humans. For that had been his request of the Hokage. To not be near people.

X.x.X

He was bored as he took to roaming Konoha. He had nothing better to do, no missions that he wanted to undertake, for the only ones that were allowed to him were those of a child. At least in his opinion. They had painstakingly made it clear to him that no matter what he said or did he would not be given any B-Rank missions that placed his life in danger, or any C or D for that matter. He was still the Kage's son. But he was growing restless in this land of cool shadows and cheerful people.

He was starting to wonder if he would have to take up lesser mission then he deserved jut to kill the boredom. Perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad idea…

He settled for the hope that he would meet up with those three individuals again. But in true Gaara fashion he didn't admit it to himself, but he was curious.

"ARGH! Get away from me you harpy!" a particularly loud voice said. Gaara stopped mid stride at the sound of the voice. "I said I didn't do it! Please stop!" Naruto was, by the time Gaara walked by, a very injured shinobi with a triumphant Sakura by him, and Sasuke looking on with a disgusted annoyance.

"Harpy?" Sakura said and a deep angry expression overcame her.

"No, no! I mean, umm, Sakura-chan! The prettiest girl around!" Naruto said desperately nursing his injuries. "The girl of my life!"

"Are you truly that weak? That you would allow a simple kunoichi to harm you so?" Gaara said. Naruto and Sasuke's head snapped in his direction. An angry blush spread across her face. _I would love to pound that guy!_ She thought angrier then before. As if he knew what she was thinking he turned to look at her with an evil glint in his eyes, she stepped back and lowered her eyes letting them rest on Sasuke before she got closer to him.

"Hey its panda eyes!" Naruto said happily from the ground, smiling up at him.

Sasuke did not fail to notice the slight twitch of Gaara's hand, the one nearest to his holster. "Brat."

"Watch it Naruto, this guy isn't an amateur," Sasuke said to Naruto.

"_Really_? You're not kidding?" Naruto said sarcastically with a childish expression on his face, "I'm not stupid. His a Chûnin. I remembered his siblings names! Like I was going to miss that he was a Chûnin. He's our age after all!"

Sasuke gave an exasperated groan.

Gaara frowned as he realized that they were giving him a headache.

"I bet I could kick his ass anyways!" Naruto said from below.

He felt the anger pulse behind him. _Better teach this loudmouth a lesson before he gets too confident. _Gaara's lips jerked in an attempted smirk as he let the sand out of his gourd. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Oh! Shit!" Naruto said as the sand lifted him up high above the ground, Sasuke attempted to get near Gaara for a quick attack but the sand blocked that. Sasuke cursed under his breath. The few people that were about gawked at the sudden development, they were only civilians and were quick to disappear.

"Sakura go get someone!" Sasuke screamed at her. She hesitated briefly before she nodded and was gone. Naruto was attempting to get himself free of the sand trap. His mind went blank as he looked down at Gaara, whom was silently gazing up at him. _Those eyes, I know those eyes. So familiar…_ He thought quietly, as he felt his feet touch the ground with a thud. The sand disappeared back into the gourd with a flourish.

Sasuke moved to attack at the first opportunity. There was an orange blur.

Naruto had grabbed Sasuke's arm, effectively stopping the attack. Sasuke gaped at him then angrily tore himself from Naruto's grasp. He lunged at Gaara, kunai in hand, but again Naruto stopped him by stepping directly in front of him. Sasuke's hand with the kunai had instinctively slashed out and now Naruto's shirt was sliced in the middle

"Get out of my way Naruto!" Sasuke screamed, the Sharingan suddenly coming alive.

"You ruined my favorite shirt! Idiot!" Naruto shouted just as fiercely.

Sasuke started to form lightning fast seals. Naruto raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Your are going to have to go through me first," he whispered, but Sasuke heard. Sasuke's hands fell to his side, but his Sharingan still blazed with life.

Gaara was astounded.

"Why did you do that?" Gaara said angrily, his sand bloomed behind him and started to whip around him. The blood was pounding in his veins. He wanted to hurt them, he wanted to make them suffer, he wanted to kill them both!

**End Chapter Two**

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Weird chapter, I know. Things will start happening in the next chapter. _So sorry _I couldn't update sooner! Every time I tried to update this chapter it wouldn't load properly, weird, and I wasn't very patient with it. Enough excuses, I know its my fault. I will be updating sooner then usual since I am going to focus on this one for a while. I am also very happy that people are reading my fic, since I was just finished reading other peoples stuff and its sooo good, and mine, well…. no so good, me feel sort of inferior–_sigh-. _Oh, well I'm over it. Review, tell me what you think, u know the usual. 

Bye, bye. (for now:)


	4. Chapter III: Soft

**Desert Heart**

**Chapter III: Soft**

* * *

Tsunade's eyes became unfocused slightly. Things were finely starting to go back to normal after three years. Orochimaru's plan had only met with some success, for Sasuke still had that damned cursed seal on his neck but he had not gained the Uchiha's body. Naruto was safe as far as she knew from Akatsuki. There were still of course the usual problems with the other shinobi villages, but they occasionally they could be resolved. And as far as she was concerned things with Suna had calmed down after she had agreed to take in Gaara for an indefinite amount of time. She had been surprised when that had smoothed things over with the Hidden Village of Sand. Hec, maybe now she could take a bit of a vacation! 

x-X-x

The beauty of the day was made void by the ragging sand around a lone figure. Naruto stared in wonder as Gaara's sand was about to envelope him once again. He waited with apprehension for it to charge at him and Sasuke. He could smell the demon in Gaara.

_Hey Kyuubi? Any way that I could stop him? There is something in him._ Naruto though, the Kyuubi inside of him stirred at the sound of Naruto's thoughts directed at him.

**_You could kill him,_** Kyuubi said lazily**_, now stop bothering me._** Naruto frowned, truly considering the possibility now.

_Be serious Kyuubi!_ Naruto protested suddenly as he realized that the thought had crossed his mind.

Kyuubi gave a mental growl then gave in as Naruto swore to do an unspeakable evil to it, the one thing that the Kyuubi didn't think was no more then a ruse. **_All right brat! Tell the kit besides you to use that Chidori of his. It could break through the sand barrier. Now leave me alone!_** The last sentence was roared out with so much furry that Naruto head rang for few seconds. Naruto moved besides Sasuke in an orange blur, his back no longer to Gaara. Sasuke stepped back as the sand threatened to catch him and as he saw that Naruto was no longer in danger of being killed.

"Use Chidori," he said above the roar of the sand. Sasuke smiled and understood. Now this could be fun.

x-X-x

Sakura let out a sigh of relief as she finally saw the Hokage.

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork and immediately got up as she saw Sakura's wide eyes and the grim set of her mouth.

"They're in trouble," was all she said.

"Alright lets go," Tsunade said then she thought to ask Sakura, whom was leading the way in front of her, "what happened?" Sakura tilted her head slightly toward Tsunade.

"Gaara-san," Sakura said still respectful despite the way she wanted to use much more colorful words attached to his name, "he went psychotic."

Tsunade frowned, she knew what that meant and she increased her speed slightly, as much as Sakura's speed would allow. She was beginning to wonder why she had even accepted such a mentally unstable boy…. Things between Suna and Konoha had become strained, much better to put up with their little terror, for now. But if he had hurt Naruto! Well… Now what happened next would not be pretty! She gritted her teeth at what seemed to her to be Sakura's agonizingly slow pace. But she saw the fear and worry for her teammates.

She could really use some sake right now…

x-X-x

Sakura looked on at the scene with a mixed sense of emotion. Tsunade only mumbled angrily under her breath. Naruto and Sasuke were sitting down leaning on each other back to back, their clothes were tattered and dirty, their faces more then a little scratched and bruised. Sasuke however looked the worst of the two. But then again unlike Naruto he did not have his own personal demon to heal him. Gaara was sitting a ways off his back to them, his shoulders were hunched and his head hung low but anyone could have told it was from pure anger and had nothing to do with defeat, his hands dug into the hard earth, his bare arms were slightly scratched but nothing more.

"Hey Sakura-chan you made it back!" Naruto spoke up happily.

"About time too," Sasuke growled. Sakura couldn't help herself as she rushed at Sasuke and hugged him tightly to her saying how happy she was to see him well over and over again. No longer having the support Naruto simply fell over, barely managing to stop himself from falling on his back. The wind was knocked out of Sasuke. "Get off me!" Sasuke shouted. It took Sakura by complete surprise.

"Possible broken ribs," Naruto said sagely as he sat up again.

"Oh! I'm **so** sorry Sasuke-kun," Sakura said immediately in a near whisper. Sasuke mumbled something under his breath. A cough made Sakura turn her head.

"Sakura could you please allow me to check on these two?" Tsunade said politely, "you go attend to Gaara." _First you tell me to back off from my precious Sasuke-kun, and now you send me to my doom? You old bat! You're insane!_

"Of course Hokage-sama," Sakura said pleasantly and let go of Sasuke reluctantly.

"Thank you Sakura," Tsunade said politely, keeping her anger in check. Nobody would hurt Naruto while she was in charge and get away with it! "What happened?" she asked. Sasuke blushed and looked away quickly despite the way that it hurt to move, Naruto's eyes merely slid away from hers, the ground suddenly becoming very interesting. This was going to take some time.

x-X-x

Sakura looked back at Tsunade pleadingly, but she was currently engaged in a one sided conversation with Sasuke and Naruto. Gaara was still glaring and clutching at the ground. He didn't spare her a glance as she neared him. He wasn't moving at all now that she thought about it, he didn't even seem to be breathing. A fleeting thought that he was dead crossed her mind. She stepped in front of him and kneeled down to be at eyelevel.

"Are you hurt?" she asked with a slight tremble in her voice. There was something cold and unreachable about him, something she didn't like, something that scarred her. Sure Sasuke was often cold and unfeeling but he never looked ready to kill anyone at the slip of the tongue. Besides she was sure that once he loved her back she would be able to make him happy, now if she could only get him to admit it her world would be complete. A slight smile at the thought graced her lips, she forgot about Gaara for a moment.

Gaara saw the smile however, his eyes finely moved up to her face. The sight of his green eyes on her snapped her back to reality. She lowered her gaze to his arms as the only way to not meet his eyes and not look like a coward. There were only superficial scratches. Her eyes wondered back to Sasuke, whose arm Tsunade was bandaging very tightly. Sasuke however remained tight-lipped thought Sakura was sure that Tsunade must have been cutting off the circulation. Sakura frowned in exasperation as she got up.

"Can you tell me if you're hurt?" she asked again. He still didn't say anything as he clutched harder to the ground. A flash of anger at his silence gave her the courage to look into his eyes, "I'll tell the Hokage that you're fine then!" She snapped and angrily crossed her arms and murmured something that sounded oddly like freak more then a little angrily under her breath, somewhat foolishly hopping he might hear. _Not like he's actually going to do anything with the Hokage so near! Ha!_ she thought triumphantly, then a thought crossed her head. _You do know that the Hokage won't always be around, right? And this is a very large village. _She quickly smothered the thought. But she remained standing there hopping that Tsunade might suddenly call for her. That was not happening.

Gaara got up with a flourish; suddenly to Sakura he was really very tall.

He was barely over a head taller then her or so. Sakura simply froze as he neared her first one step and then two. He leaned in close to her and bent his neck to whisper in her ear. His breath was hot on her neck, and she wanted to pull back so badly but fear rooted her to the spot. His breath tickled her ear as he spoke, not that she was in the mood to laugh.

"If you ever call me that again, I'll will make you hurt," he said stoically as if simply informing her about the weather. "Don't forget it Sakura_-**chan**._" Then he pulled back away from her. Sakura's anger knew no bounds then, the way she had called her chan… He meant it as an insult. To him she was child and a girl, not a kunoichi, not a shinobi. She bit her lip as she walked past him.

"So soft," Gaara called after her so that only she might hear.

Both anger and pride kept her back straight and her head held high.

Tsunade was arguing with Naruto and he with her. Sakura immediately sat besides Sasuke and grabbed his arm for comfort, and so Gaara's threat had slipped from her mind. For once Sasuke didn't say anything or even bother to pull away. Naruto was suddenly appeared across her and besides Sasuke just at the moment that she noticed that the Hokage was gone and with even greater relief she saw that _**Gaara **_was gone as well, maybe with the Hokage.

"Sakura-chan I wouldn't take that he is letting you grab his arm as a sign that he likes you, he is heavily sedated, Tsunade gave it to him for the pain," he said grinning. Indeed Sasuke's eyes were becoming unfocused and all he managed was a slight frown.

"Sasuke! Sasuke-kun!" she said frantically to no avail.

"Er… You should probably enjoy it Sakura, he won't let you touch him for a while yet," Naruto said helpfully, "probably should ask him if he wants to go out with you too, in this state I'm fairly sure that he would agree to almost anything." Sakura glared at him and managed to hit him across the head, something that was happening even more rarely nowadays.

"What was that for?" Naruto asked angrily rubbing the spot furiously with his left hand. Then he received another blow to the head not nearly as powerful as the first but it still caused a sharp pain.

"Dunce, I'm not _that_ out of it," was all Sasuke managed before his words became too slurred to understand.

"So what happened Naruto?" she asked curiously. Naruto pretended not to hear her. "Tell me what happened," she said again through gritted teeth. Sakura rolled her eyes and simply gave up. She couldn't help but savor the moment as she realized that Sasuke had passed out on her shoulder.

"Do you want to stuff him and keep him as a memento or something? Couse I think we should take him home or something," Naruto said with a serious air. Sakura didn't think that was such a bad idea, she wouldn't mind keeping her Sasuke-kun… But Naruto was right, they needed to get him home.

"All right, you take him home," Sakura said regrettably, "I'm not strong enough to carry him." Sakura heard the sound of protest that Naruto was about to make before she grabbed the collar of his jacket. "You **_really _**don't want to mess around with me Naruto. So take him home!" Naruto freed his jacket and gave her an angry scowl before his face broke into a grin.

"Anything for my Sakura-chan," he said sweetly. Suddenly the conversation with Gaara, if it could even be called a conversation, came flooding back to Sakura.

So when Naruto was gone with a limp Sasuke all she could think to do was stand up clench her fist and smolder in her own anger toward Gaara. She was going to get back at him some way. _If he doesn't kill you first._ A voice in her head said helpfully. _Oh. Right I forgot about that._

x-X-x

"I'll be blunt with you Gaara," Tsunade said clearly frustrated and more then a little grumpy, "you were accepted into this village as a peace offering. You will respect me and my people. I don't care who you are and were you came from, when you are in my village you follow my rules, got that? And that means no fighting with my villagers!" They were at the Hokage tower now, the sky bright and full of cheery sunlight.

Gaara gazed at her coldly before he said, "I have no respect for you. You got the title of Hokage on a fluke, because the Third died and the Fourth was already dead and only then because another had refused the title."

Tsunade winced inwardly as she heard his words, the dream to become Hokage had been that of her brother and that of her lover, but her face showed nothing of her pain, "you don't have a choice about that Gaara. You will respect me and my rules. Or would you rather test that theory of yours that I became Hokage on a fluke?"

Gaara said nothing, but with mild surprise Tsunade realized that he was actually thinking about fighting her.

"Forget that!" Tsunade snapped at the boy, and then more calmly, "can you tell me what happened during the match?" She said tactfully. Gaara looked away abruptly and then back to her, Tsunade knew his answer before he even said it.

"No," he said simply.

One of these days she was going to heart attack! When she had calmed herself down she said softly and dangerously, "why cant you, Naruto, or Sasuke seem to tell me what happened, or did all of you happen to be wearing blindfolds?"

"Because it's simply none of your business," Gaara hissed angrily.

"And why would that be?" Tsunade said arching an eyebrow in curiosity despite his insolence.

Gaara took a couple of seconds before he answered with venom in his voice, "something happened… That would best come from their own lips. So quit asking." Tsunade smirked, _now_ she was getting somewhere! She was going to find out even if it killed her. Poor Hokage who had nothing better to do then meddle in the business of a bunch of teenagers.

"You can go now Gaara, but come back tomorrow," Tsunade said pleasantly, Gaara narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "I have a little assignment for you. It will keep you out of my hair and keep you occupied for a while yet. You can think of it as a punishment if you want."

"Yes Hokage-sama," Gaara said deciding that a respectful approach would get her off his back. Tsunade however was not fooled. Now more then ever she decided that she would do something about the little insolent brat! And find out what happened between the three boys while she was at it. After all it wouldn't do to have him skulking around the village as he had been doing.

"You are dismissed," she said with a wave of her hand. Gaara saw her evil little smile before he left. This was not becoming a pleasant stay in the Fire Country for Gaara of the Sand.

x-X-x

Sakura was now on the roof of her home looking at the crescent moon. She felt someone land softly besides her and then sit besides her. She could feel the warmth that his body lent her own cold one.

"Sakura-chan what are you doing still up?" Naruto said softly not wanting to disturb her quiet. Sakura looked over at him and gave a wan smile.

"Just thinking," she said just as softly as Naruto had, "what are you doing here?"

"I came to tell you that Sasuke will be fine and is now at home sleeping like the dead," Naruto said, "seeing as you were the one the was the most worried about him I thought you might want to know as soon as possible." Sakura smiled, she was glad that he was fine.

"Thanks," then she said as an afterthought, "still won't tell me what happened with Gaara?"

"_Maaybee_!" Naruto said slyly, "_if_ you go out with me."

"Dream on!" Sakura said. Naruto gave a dramatic defeated sigh. It was now a game between them. He always asked her out and she always said no.

"When will you learn Sakura?" Naruto said playfully.

"You mean about Sasuke?" Sakura said serious once again, "probably never."

"Just don't get hopes up with Sasuke," Naruto said gravely, "I advise that you forget about him."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

"Oh wow look at the time! It's getting super late!" Naruto said grinning like a fool as he jumped up and was about to go off when Sakura grabbed the leg of his pants with lightning speed, nearly causing him to trip.

"Tell me what you mean!" she nearly screamed. Naruto shifted uncomfortably.

"Sorry Sakura-chan if I tell you, it would break your heart," Naruto said softly as if speaking to a child, "but maybe one day you will realize it on your own."

"Your just jealous of Sasuke-kun! It's because I love him isn't it? You're just saying that I'll go out with you!" Sakura shouted angrily as she let go of his pants and got up to face him. Naruto got a cold hard look on his face.

"Come on Sakura do you really think I'm that petty?" Naruto said coldly.

Sakura crossed her arms, "then tell me what you mean! Y-you."

"Think about that before you say it Sakura," Naruto cut in with ice in his voice. Sakura couldn't help but shudder, this wasn't the Naruto she knew.

"I'm sorry Naruto. It's just that I'm not just having a good day," Sakura said meekly as she felt the energy drain out of her. Naruto's face cleared and he no longer had the cold expression on his face.

"What happened?" Naruto asked.

"Forget about it, I feel better now since you told me about Sasuke-kun," she said as she smiled.

"Figures," Naruto murmured under his breath and Sakura couldn't help but giggled slightly. Sakura turned to go.

She paused and turned to say goodbye, "see you tomorrow Naruto."

"O.k. but sure you don't still don't want to go out with me?" Naruto said and winked. A small smile escaped her. He was gone with such speed that it made Sakura wonder why he was still a Genin. _Probably because of me._ Sakura thought angrily as she slipped inside her home.

She looked over a picture of all of them when they were twelve. There was Naruto's grinning face, with his fingers spread in the victory sign, Sasuke his usual cool looking self, and then was Sakura giggling simply happy that she could be around Sasuke, Kakashi was a bit off to the side not really caring one way or another about the picture. She saw that she looked the weakest of the three. Even now they were more powerful then her, so much so that Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage was no longer a joke to her.

She had been called weak once, and once was one too many times for her.

Soft, the word cut like a dagger. She'd show _**him** _soft all right! She'd show all of them!

**End Chapter Three**

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Muhaha! I wonder what happened in the fight? Hmm… You'll find out sooner or later… It effects the story after all. And poor Sakura! Gaara hates her right now, not to worry she hates him too! lol. Anywhos I hopped you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry I didn't update sooner I had major writers block. My bad. :P. Oh, and on a side note, everything in the manga/anime happened except that Sand was not involved, lets just pretend it was some other village that hated Konoha. 


	5. Chapter IV: Thinking Back

**Desert Heart**

**Chapter IV: Thinking Back  
**

* * *

There was nothing to do but stare at the sliver of a moon, his eyes however always managed to slide away from it in a single fluid motion. He leaned out of the widow and let the cool wind ruffle his hair. There was nothing to do, for he did not desire simply sit there. He did not sleep. 

He jumped out of it, forgetting his gourd. There was no need for it.

He knew exactly were he was going as he jumped and ran over roofs, not making a single noise. He was that good. He finally stopped into a grassy area he had seen when he had traveled to the Hokage tower. The grass was long and a deep green. Nothing like his so called home, nothing at all like Suna.

Gaara closed his eyes for a fraction of a moment. A mental image of the dark haired boy with haunted eyes passed through his mind and how his hands had been set ablaze with electricity, and the sound, the sound of a thousand birds. Chidori he had called it. Then there was the other one, the one with the blond hair and wide blue eyes. How willing he had been to keep his friend safe, he would have died for the other boy. There was something in him that ached for that kind of bond. There was one thing that bothered him however, the one with pink hair and green eyes. This one puzzled him somewhat. He had never quite met someone like her.

She was no kunoichi; she was almost nothing compared to his sister. That he was certain of and the fact the he didn't like her. He still remembered her back as she ran from the fight. He still wondered what had ever compelled him even talk to her.

This land was doing strange things to him.

He touched the cuts on his arms lightly and thought. He was forever thinking. He lay on the grass and felt the coolness of it touch upon his skin. He closed his eyes as he rested his head on his arms.

He remembered Sasuke and Naruto and how hard they fought for each other, the words that Naruto had said.

**-_Flashback-_**

He was deafened somewhat by the sand, but he could still hear their words and he hated it. The electricity cracked his barrier but nothing more. The blond had called it Chidori. He let his barrier drop abruptly and caught Sasuke's throat in his hand and he slammed him onto the ground. Sasuke's head make a sickening sound as it made contact with the hard packed earth, immediately his eyes became glazed as he nearly passed out. His Sharingan flickered before it went out.

Something hit Gaara on the side as he pressed his hand tighter around Sasuke's throat. Gaara flipped up into the air, letting go of the unconscious Uchiha, to land safely on his feet, arms crossed gazing quietly at Naruto. The blond was breathing heavily, and no wonder, it had to take an impressive amount of speed to break through his sand barrier. Gaara was slightly impressed, few had done what Naruto had.

He charged at Naruto as soon as he saw the opportunity, and with the palm of his hand pushed Naruto away from Sasuke. Naruto landed several feet away. Gaara only heard Naruto grunt as his body made contact with the ground. The blond was quickly up however and he again rushed recklessly toward Gaara, but this time Gaara was ready and he again hit Naruto away from him. Gaara was quickly becoming bored. He willed his sand to form a barrier between him and Naruto and he crouched near Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes ever so slowly came into focus as his eyes locked with Gaara's. The both heard Naruto's struggles and as he used jutsu after jutsu on the sand, and so far all to no avail.

"Is he you friend?" Gaara asked, looking to were Naruto was. Sasuke could say nothing but he felt his body starting to listen to his brain, he just needed a little more time. Then he would kill Gaara. "If I were to kill you what would he do?" Gaara asked looking into Sasuke's dark eyes, Gaara saw something of himself in these eyes, but there was something there that was unrecognizable, something odd. "I'm curious."

He touched Sasuke's pale cheek with a kunai, it grazed the skin but did not break it.

"Would he be heartbroken? Would he attempt to kill me? Or simply except it?" Gaara wanted to know. Sasuke didn't speak as he attempted to move. Gaara stood up, slightly slouched, and saw Naruto no longer trying to break his barrier but just standing there.

His hands shot out to grab something behind him as Naruto's body burst into a cloud of smoke.. He tilted his head and saw both Naruto and Sasuke pointing very sharp looking kunai at him. Sasuke looked ready to drop dead.

"Your good," Naruto said and grinned.

"Likewise," Gaara said quietly.

"But I wont let you hurt my best friend," Naruto spoke, "just like I wont let you defeat me." Sasuke had looked startled and a little dazed but he said nothing. Gaara let go of their hands and they dropped to the side. Sasuke wasn't sure what to do. Naruto however was more then sure.

He charged at Gaara with the intent to kill. Sand surrounded Gaara, he quickly made the seals for a sand jutsu. It made the sand around him revolve, spike like, and towards Naruto. A curious thing had happened then.

Sasuke had ran after Naruto and pulled him down, causing the two to fall and roll around. Gaara felt something spark somewhere, a memory, but he buried it. The spikes missed Naruto narrowly.

"What do you think you are doing? He tried to kill you!" Naruto yelled at a passive Sasuke.

"Idiot. Because you're my best friend," Sasuke attempted a smile that fell apart halfway. He then got up pulling Naruto up with him, "now lets finish him."

"Yes," Naruto said, "lets."

Gaara had no time to react as they came at him with a blinding speed. Their kunai slashed at him but only managed to scratch his arms as he came to his senses. He gave then a fight after that.

_**-End Flashback-**_

Gaara sat up and looked up. He had felt odd after that, he had fought but with no malice to it, no need to be cruel or kill them. His anger had passed without him noticing.

X.x.X

Tsunade's eyes fixed themselves on the picture of Gaara, his green eyes looked back at her without emotion; no pride or joy at being made a Chûnin, nothing whatsoever. This was not helping her in think up an inventive way to punish and or make Gaara suffer. She went on to sort through older pictures of him and the same expression met her eyes, and then a strange thing occurred to her. Two years of Gaara's life were missing from the shinobi records, no missions and then suddenly a couple of C ranked missions and he was Chûnin. This didn't add up. Especially after all the time Suna had apparently spent on training him.

She let her finger trace the outline of his face, it settled briefly on his tattoo before she slammed the book shut as she did so she sensed someone nearby and saw Gaara. She knew what she was going to do now.

**End Chapter Four**

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I finally fixed the 'sad' jutsu! yay, for me.

Thank you all that reviewed, I really apreciate it!


	6. Chapter V: Blood Crave

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

* * *

**Chapter V: Blood Crave **

Sakura woke up sleepily and not wanting to leave the warm covers of her bed. She hadn't been able to go to sleep as the night dragged on, and only now had she been able to sleep for a couple of hours. Oh, well. She splashed her face and was out the door to meet up with Naruto, she wasn't so sure that Sasuke would be up for it.

When she got to the ramen stand however they were both there. Sasuke looking more bandaged up then usual, his head specially. She rushed over to him in a big happy hurry.

"Sasuke-kun! Are you all right!?" she said, taking him by the arm and squeezing herself to him.

"I will be if you quit doing that!" He said irritably pulling himself away non too gently. Sakura pouted, but said nothing. She was used to this, it was nothing new. Suddenly her cheeks flamed red as she thought about what she was going to say to them. "C-can, I ask something? A favor."

Naruto pulled himself away from his ramen long enough to listen, though some noodles still hung from his mouth. Sasuke contented himself with shrugging.

"I was wondering. Would it be okay if I trained on my own for a while?" she said, and looked away from their amazed faces, even Sasuke's eyes had widened in astonishment. "It's just that I need to do this… But, well you know." She finished lamely. She could feel the heat in her cheeks and her fingers twisted themselves into knots.

"Sure Sakura you do what you need to do. I'll tell Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, breaking the silence. Somehow managing to sound coherent while stuffing himself with ramen as fast as he could.

Sasuke shrugged again, "why not."

She didn't know how bad she wanted it until she felt her stomach unclench and the way relief washed over her. She smiled. She was however a bit put out that neither Sasuke and Naruto had put up much of a protest about letting her do this. That they had simply agreed.

"Well. Later," she said and waved as she walked off. Naruto waved madly back while Sasuke merely lifted his hand halfway.

X.x.X

Gaara eyes snapped open as he felt someone approach him. _Damn! I fell asleep out here!_ He thought angrily. Not noticing the dampness of his clothes from the wet grass.

Without thought and without knowing why he hid from the approaching noices among the closets trees. He felt somewhat naked without the familiar weight of his gourd but it didn't matter to him if he had it or not. He became a part of the leaf shadows and muffled his chakra as not to be sensed.

Somehow it surprised him that the pink haired one, Sakura, was out here alone and without the company of her other two friends. It surprised him a bit further when she took out a kunai. Gaara's interest peaked as he saw the sharp edge gleam dangerously in the bright sunlight.

Words floated to him on a breeze.

"Don't hold back," she spoke sternly, her voice full of determination, and apparently to herself. Gaara saw the tension in Sakura's shoulders, the girl was uncertain. She reminded him of a girl that had always had someone to protect her and did not know how to rely on herself. She continued talking to herself as she stared down a tree trunk with a knot in the wood. "Just pretend that this is Ino, trying to take away your wonderful Sasuke." That didn't quite seem to work to get her bloodlust on.

There was a minute change as she spoke again, "even better. Pretend it's that bastard Gaara!" A vein pulsed in his temple.

Her uncertainty went away and she relaxed into a comfortable fighting stance.

"No holding back," a grin could be heard in Sakura's voice.

Gaara could feel himself getting agitated as he watched her, his eyes widened slightly as if by opening them he would be able to take more in of the world. He was curious about the girls ability to fight, but it was more then obvious that the Uchiha and Naruto were the stronger of the team. After all hadn't they actually managed to scratch him? But he had no idea what the girl could do.

Shuriken after shuriken sliced viciously at the knot of wood with perfect aim and quite a bit of speed into it. Gaara could tell however that unless it hit the a vital organ it didn't have the immediate power to maim fatally, or kill.

Sakura on the other hand seemed to be enjoying herself as she shouted occasionally, "take that Gaara!" or her favorite, "I'll show you soft. You panda eyes!"

It was obvious that she wasn't going to get anywhere like this, aiming at things that didn't move. She also tried moving as she aimed but still her target remained unmoving. It would have been great training had it not been for the fact that shinobi were constantly moving creatures.

Every time he said something about him his blood flowed a little faster. Yet he remained were he was.

He hadn't realized how long he had been crouching in the tree watching her, unmoving and unblinking, until he saw the red orange tinged sky with hints of pink. She slumped onto a rock, without realizing it her face was to him. And close. So close that he could see her face and the changes it went through.

She closed her eyes and put a hand to her forehead, as if thinking, a frown slowly appeared there. She hunched her shoulders as if seeking warmth within herself, even if the temperature hardly called for nothing more then light clothing. He saw the unsteadiness of her breath and the way it was slow to return to normal, there were beads of sweat on her forehead and streaks of earth on her bare arms, and the slight powder of dust in her hair. With one hand she rubbed her scratched knees and legs. Her tongue licked the dry lips unconsciously. Weariness stuck to her like a robe. He could feel something more then just physical weariness from her. It was oddly familiar.

Yet when she finely opened her eyes, looking straight at him without seeing him, they were a blaze of green and gold. It wasn't determination he saw. It was defiance. Defiance of who she was. She was fighting to be someone else.

The blood pounded quicker then ever before. He felt the old familiar lust rise in him, and for once he would be more then glad to indulge in it. He wanted to smell that precious red that coursed through her, he wanted to hold her lifeless body and watch her blood drain away from her, to bring her blood to his lips.

His whole body trembled in desire. A mad smile tore his face.

Slowly and gracefully he jumped from the tree, right in front of her. Sakura screamed and as she stepped back she fell over the rock that she had been sitting on and landed on her back.

As Gaara walked slowly toward her she used her hands to drag herself away. Gaara loved the way her green eyes widened in shock and fear. He let his hands rest on the rock. She stopped.

He saw the veins in her neck pulse, and the way her breath caught in her throat.

The he was besides her, on one knee. He put a hand on her cheek and let his head drop close to her face. The fear that came from her, as he took out a kunai was almost deliciously overwhelming. He nicked the side of her neck and blood began to flow freely. He closed his eyes and let his lips drift close to hers, like those of a lover, he could feel the warmth from them. The warmth from her.

A human warmth. He opened his eyes in a small moment of lucidity.

Her green eyes were hard and composed. No more fear. No more of the golden light to them, just eyes, eyes a bit like his.

His breath kissed her lips and he was gone in a puff of smoke as if it had never been.

**End Chapter Five**

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Whoever is following this story, you are allowed to whatever horrible thing that you can think of to me. Yes, I know I'm horrible. I am honestly sorry, I got caught up in stuff. Just please, please don't kill me! Do know however that I mean to finish it, no matter how long it takes me. And I promise not to make any more promises. :P 

**orangecatlover **(thank you and I will), **Sariachan-KokiriLeaf **(Oops, your right. I'll try to improve.) **JCK** (I think you have the answer. ),**Jazzy Uchiha **(Thankyou!), **You shall obey **(yes, master.), **an3L-blue**(yes! and sorry.), thank you all for reviewing and I am so sorry. (Again and again and again.)

Anyways, as always please review and tell me what you think.


	7. Chapter VI: Thought

**Chapter VI: Thought  
**

_This is the third time I've felt so damn helpless around him!_ Sakura thought angrily as she stared at the sky. Suddenly her whole body began to shake uncontrollably. She stood up, her face composed and her body still shaking, and collected her shuriken and carefully stored them again. She had to stop several times to pick up the ones she dropped with her trembling fingers. All she got for her trouble was small shallow cuts.

She breathed in deeply, slowly letting her breath out, trying desperately to calm herself down before she lost it. For now, all that Sakura wanted to do was get the hell out of here before Gaara got it into his head to come back and finish the job.

_Just what was that Gaara creep doing here anyways? _She thought to herself as she sped toward the village, the tremble not quite gone from her step. _I just hope he didn't hear what I was saying about him. With my luck, he probably did. _Sakura couldn't help but grimace at the thought. No telling what he would do about that.

As she landed close to her home she rubbed at her cheek, then realizing that that was were he had touched her she withdrew her hand quickly.

"Ack! I need a bath!" Sakura said angrily and with that she stomped her way into her home.

When she lay down to sleep, she felt restless and wide-awake despite the aches and pains from the days training. She had even forgotten to eat. She could really do with some food right now. Even Naruto's ramen sounded good right about now.

_How can I be thinking of food when Gaara almost killed me? _Sakura thought as she felt the first pull of sleep. _The way he looked at me. It wasn't human. It's the way a starved do looks at a piece of meat. And those eyes of his. They remind me of Naruto, and maybe Sasuke too. Funny that they look a little like mine too._

She was starting to nod off, and she let her eyes drop. She fell sleep immediately.

X.x.X

"What did you do to yourself?" Sasuke asked as soon as he saw her, a slight crease on his forehead. Sakura smiled, he looked as handsome as ever leaning by one of the many trees of Konoha. It didn't matter that his head was wound around in bandages, or his arms and ribs for that matter. His hands lay lazily by his side, one of them expertly twirling a kunai. Naruto had yet to come and Kakashi was as late as ever, no surprise there. Sakura was happy that they were alone, but knew it would not last. Kakashi and Naruto had a knack for spoiling her moments with him.

"What? What do you mean?" Sakura asked, her head momentarily going into dream world as she realized that Sasuke was actually talking to her without needing to be prompted, _and _without scowling. Maybe he had noticed something about her; it was about time too.

"Your neck," he pointed with the kunai. "You have a cut." He stated the obvious.

"Oh," Sakura said, surprised, she had forgotten all about it, she traced the small cut that Gaara had made, "nothing. It was just an accident, when I was training. Dumb really, I cut myself accidentally." Sasuke gave her an unbelieving look.

Sakura felt herself go hot all over. She had never told Sasuke an outright lie, maybe she exaggerated life a tiny bit but she had never said a blatant lie to him

"Fine then, it doesn't matter," he said and turned away, and continued to twirl the kunai. Sakura could not help but stare at it, and remember what Gaara had nearly done. _Why did I lie to you?_ A sad look came over her face as she answered her own question. _Maybe if I told you, it wouldn't matter. It wouldn't change the way you felt about me. You would care, I'm sure, but not the way **I **want you to._

Sakura sat a ways off and startled fiddling with a kunai of her own. She tested the sharpness against her thumb, she couldn't help but imagine it cutting into Gaara. Sakura pulled her thoughts away from him with some difficulty.

Naruto appeared besides her, that insanely happy smile of his on his face. Sakura groaned inwardly.

"So how did your training go?" Naruto asked immediately after saying hello. "Well?"

"It went fine Naruto," Sakura said irritated. Then an idea seemed to spark behind her eyes. "Naruto could you do me a favor? A really small one?" Sakura put her best smile on, and leaned her face in a little. Naruto started to look nervous.

"Umm…What is it?" he asked, unconsciously pulling away from her. Sakura hadn't asked him for a favor in a couple of weeks, it usually involved something unpleasant, for him anyways.

"Could you practice with me?"

"Practice what?" he asked suspiciously. That didn't sound too bad, but with Sakura, it paid to be careful.

"You know, shinobi stuff," Sakura finished off brightly, and showing more teeth than she had. Naruto gave a relived smile.

"You should have said so from the beginning, Sakura-chan," Naruto said happily, then with puzzlement he asked, "did you already ask Kakashi-sensei? Or even Sasuke?" Embarrassed Sakura shook her head. Kakashi wasn't one to give her his time outside of team practice, and Sasuke… Well… Sasuke was Sasuke.

"No," Sakura answered a little abashed. But Naruto was already in his own world, ranting on and on about what they should practice and what she should start with.

Not ever quite able to ignore Naruto, Sasuke spoke, "what are you own about you dunce?"

Naruto put his hand to his mouth and started laughing, "wouldn't you like to know."

"Then just don't tell me," Sasuke growled. Sakura could seen that he was close to throw the kunai he was holding at Naruto.

Naruto started laughing again as he saw Sasuke's slowly building anger and he didn't fail to notice the clenched kunai, "you want to throw that at me Sasuke?" Sasuke looked startled at his hand and put the kunai away in his holster, he shook his head. Sakura couldn't tell if it meant no, or if it was simply to clear his head.

Sakura laughed the immediately covered her mouth, for some reason she found it funny.

Naruto grinned at her before he looked to Sasuke, "it's nothing, its just that Sakura asked to practice with me." He looked very proud of himself. Sasuke's eyes went wide in surprise as he turned his face toward Sakura.

"Look, Kakashi-sensei is here," Sakura said, wanting to crawl away from Sasuke's intense gaze.

Naruto whispered fiercely at Sakura, "don't forget!"

"I wont Naruto," Sakura said as they passed by Sasuke, she didn't dare meet his eyes. He gave her a curious look. _Since when did Sakura ever practice with Naruto? _Sasuke thought and followed behind Sakura and Naruto toward Kakashi. _Stranger things have happened._

X.x.X

Gaara tensed as he saw the Hokage approaching him. _Does she know? Does she know what happened between the girl and me?_ He wondered in the back of his head. As far as he was concerned it didn't matter, he hadn't killed her after all. Yet he couldn't help but wonder if that was why she moved toward him among the trees. She hadn't even bothered to conceal herself.

"Hokage-sama," Gaara acknowledged her from were he was sitting in the tree, its many shadows enveloping him like dark velvet.

"Gaara-san," she said curtly gazing up. "Skulking around my village again?"

"I don't skulk," Gaara answered, his eyes narrowing visibly.

"Oh, I'm sure you don't," Tsunade said, ignoring him completely, she started pacing, "I have something for you to do." Gaara's blood went cold in something close to dread. What would this insane Hokage have him do?

"You made clear that you wouldn't allow me many missions, if any," Gaara scoffed. "You said for my safety, but I doubt that that is now the case." Tsunade shrugged, neither denying or disagreeing.

"With what you did to Naruto and Sasuke, I doubt you being the Kazekage's son applies anymore. Besides, you're not so harmless as they made you sound," she paused briefly, "they¾"

Gaara interrupted her, "they would say anything to get rid of me. They wouldn't care if I died, they would be glad of it. I know."

Tsunade heard the absolute absence of emotion and anger or even bitterness in his voice and it made her stop, she looked Gaara in the eyes without flinching, "I would have put it more gently, but yes. I gather that they fear your… instability." She fell silent and Gaara impatiently waited for her to keep on talking.

Finally she spoke, the reproach gone a bit from her voice, "well aren't you going to ask what you have to do?"

Gaara's anger flickered as he spoke, "I was waiting for you to speak." _This woman is infuriating!_ Gaara thought, _what make's it worse is that I have to listen to her._

"Fine. You will join one of our teams on a C ranked mission, the details will be given to you later," Tsunade said in an offhand tone. "I think you already know what team will be accompanying you on this mission. You wont need to be introduce as you are already acquainted."

Gaara was silent. _Why doesn't she just leave me alone?_ Then what she said seemed to hit him. **_Them. _**His whole body went cold and hot at the same time.

"By the way, how come you didn't come to the tower yesterday like I told you to?" Tsunade said, curious. Not noticing the way Gaara had become unusually still even for him, even his breath had seemed to stop.

Gaara recovered slightly at the sound of her voice, then his eyes shifted away from her, "I was… distracted. That's all." He was gripping the branch so hard with one hand that small snapping sounds could be heard. Tsunade chose to ignore them.

"I see," her voice was low, becoming irritated again. Tsunade was very close to wringing his neck. They were both giving the other headaches.

"How long have they been a team?" Gaara asked suddenly and without knowing that he was going to say it.

Startled Tsunade answered, "three years now."

"Are the friends?" Gaara tensed without realizing it. Curiosity gnawed at him, at one time he knew that as soon as he had known that he would have killed them without regret and without a thought, would have exulted the warmth of their blood, the closest that he had gotten to human contact. Yet he had not tried to kill them, had not felt anything and the absence of anger frightened him. He had hardly lived a day without it.

He snapped back to reality with a fluidity he wasn't aware of.

Tsunade thought about it, knowing full well whom he was referring to, then smiled, "I wouldn't know. It's something that they will have to tell you. One thing I do know for sure is that they are rivals, one always seeks to outdo the other. "

"What about the girl?" it came out as a whisper, more angry then he would have thought.

Tsunade actually laughed out loud, "My, my, my, haven't you gotten talkative? Looking to have her for yourself?" Gaara stared at her. _How right you are, Hokage, _Gaara thought grimly, _but hardly in the way that you think. _Gaara glared at her. "But I'll answer. Well she's interesting and extremely intelligent. They care about her and protect her and that holds her back." The last sentence was said more for Tsunade's own benefit then that of Gaara's.

_Is that why she was training?_ Gaara wondered. _So that she doesn't always need their protection? _He thought it possible, but unlikely.

"That's all you need to know for now about them, the rest they will tell," she said with what Gaara thought was a disgustingly wise look on her face. Tsunade face became sly and as she tried to smile sweetly, least to say it died on her lips before it had a chance to land on Gaara. "By the way what happened between you boys? A question for a question."

Gaara was taken out of his musings by her words and said with his usual stoniness, "nothing." Tsunade could have strangled him for that. She should have just sent some of her subordinates to deal with this giant headache. He dropped from the tree and walked away from her without a word of goodbye.

He stopped for a moment, "they are friends. Now." His gourd let out an unexpected flurry of sand and he was gone. Tsunade was amused, first by what he said and then by his exit. _So the two little brats finally admitted they were friends. About time too. But Gaara, why do you care? You see what you want in them don't you? Not all that you want, but some of it. You are after all what Naruto could have become. And Naruto always wanted friends._

Tsunade groaned. Why did he always make her feel like she needed some sake?

X.x.X

Kakashi was looking at Sakura with renewed interest as she watched her spar with the Naruto and Sasuke. It wasn't improvement he saw but the way she charged at the two boys with actual intent to kill that caught his eye, it was the way he had always wanted her to fight even when it just to spar. Naruto and Sasuke however were holding back, but Kakashi doubted that it was intentional.

Kakashi called them in. He noticed that she had a far away expression, as if her mind wasn't all here. She hung back from him them as he stared to speak.

"The Hokage has given you three a mission, should be low risk enough," Kakashi began.

Naruto cut in before he could continue, "what do you mean by 'you three'? Aren't you coming with us?" Kakashi could see just how much Naruto was hoping it was so.

Kakashi lifted his hand and passed it through his hair ignoring Naruto, "As I was saying. I'm not going with you. The Hokage knows you'll be fine, and it's only going to be a C rank mission. Nothing special." No one mentioned it but they were all thinking about the time that they thought it was going to be nothing more then a C rank mission. Naruto was bubbling over with joy, no surprise there, and Sasuke just stood there. Sakura however didn't seem to be listening.

"Sakura are you feeling well?" he asked.

She looked at him clearly startled by the question and simply nodded. "When do we leave?" She asked, fishing around for a question that would take his attention away from her.

"You will be briefed about it later," Kakashi stopped, not knowing how well they were going to take what he was going to say next. _Might as well get to it._ he thought. "Gaara of the Sand Village will be going with you."

"What!?" Naruto shouted, his voice lapsing into begging "Kakashi-sensei! You can't do this to us!" Sasuke's lips had gone thin and angry white. Kakashi noticed the way that Sakura's hands clenched into fists and her eyes were resolute. That expression alone made Kakashi curious, but the thought got no further then that as Naruto started shouting in protest once more.

"Naruto I know that your meetings with Gaara have not gone well. But in the end he is a shinobi, and a shinobi does his duty and doesn't let his personal grudges get in the way of a mission. Besides it would be better that a Chunin went with you, one of your own age, and not an old timer like me," Kakashi joked. None of them laughed.

"But Kakashi-sensei, have you seen the guy?" Naruto pleaded, then went into scheme mode, "I'm not sure he would entirely care about the mission. Or us for that matter. Mostly us. He'd let us die if we were attacked, I'm sure of it."

"Naruto. The Kage doesn't care, she just wants Gaara out of the wayfor a bit and since you four already know each other," Kakashi shrugged, looking skyward, "it was the best she could manage without making matters worse."

Sakura spoke up, her voice was low and trembling Kakashi looked her way and saw it had little to do with fear, "what do you mean worse?"

"Gaara, isn't all there," he taped his head, at this point he said more brightly then he had a right to, "but look on the bright side. After your fight he might not be so eager to kill you as he did others." Sakura flinched and her face colored lightly. Kakashi had heard what she had done and wasn't sure that he approved. However it had been nothing more then quarrel within the village itself, she knew better then to do that in an actual battle. Then there was the politics to think about. And Sasuke had told her to go, the girl could never resist listening to Sasuke.

"Did?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, see you until you return," Kakashi said, taking no notice of Sasuke's question, "good job today Sakura." With that he disappeared. Sakura felt a bit of pride at his words, she felt that he meant them. Naruto couldn't care less and stomped the ground that Kakashi had been standing on.

"Why does." Stomp, "he always." Stomp, "do that!?" Naruto angrily shouted through grated teeth. Sakura shared his frustration. She didn't want to be anywhere near Gaara.

"We cant do anything about it," Sasuke said, "all that's left is to prepare." He glanced at Naruto and Sakura and lifted a hand as his version of a wave, and left as well to do whatever Sasuke did.

Naruto turned toward Sakura eagerly, "so what did you have in mind for practice?"

Sakura forgot about Gaara and Sasuke and even the compliment Kakashi had paid her, she took out several shuriken and grinned at Naruto, "target practice."

**End Chapter Six**

Ooops. I just realized that I have like maybe five or so regular characters, but I think that's because of the time span. Weird…

Anyways! Thank you those that reviewed! And I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Other then that please tell me what you think, be it good of bad. :)


	8. Chapter VII: Answer

**Desert Heart**

**Chapter VII: Answer**

Three more days. In just three days he would be with those three. Gaara stared at the scroll in his hands listlessly and let it drop on the ground. He slumped onto the bed and watched it roll away from him.

He closed his eyes momentarily, a single shiver went through him as he thought about the girl. All he saw was that composed look, it had amused him. He remembered when those were the ones that blood was the most enticing, the ones who had no fear of death. However it all came back to that look of defiance for Gaara. _She knew I could kill her, yet I… _his thoughts trailed off into nothingness as he closed off that part of his mind.

He opened his eyes and looked out the window to a sky so bright and blue as to be irritating. He stood up and methodically wrapped the red sash Temari had given him around his gourd and across his chest. He had not used it since he had gotten to Konoha or after his and Temari's little fight for that matter.

His eyes lingered on the scrolls Temari had sent him, all unopened.

He needed to be out for a little while.

X.x.X

She was there again, he had not expected her to be. This time she wasn't alone however, the boy with eyes that were too bright to look at was with her. He was surprised that the other was not with them.

"You shouldn't bee spying on them," a chilly voice said to Gaara. Gaara's eyes shifted to the right. It was Sasuke, one hand resting lightly on a branch, looking down at him. He was glaring at Gaara with an intensity that not many his age had or could manage. Gaara would have been slightly impressed had Sasuke's head not been bandaged and his arms not been bruised.

Still Gaara said nothing and continued to watch them, even now he saw the little improvements in her speed and reaction time. He saw the way she strategize to make up for her lack of speed and strength.

"You should go," Sasuke spoke, dislike so clear in his voice it was tangible, Gaara stood up the way a snake would that was ready to strike and kill whoever had dared to disturb it.

Sasuke pressed his lips together and resisted the urge to reach for a kunai.

Gaara looked at Sasuke from a slightly lowered head.

"Do you want to fight me Uchiha?" Gaara said, "right now." Sasuke looked completely taken aback by the statement, but then a slow unconscious grin started to spread across his pale features. Sasuke looked toward his teammates and his grin turned to something close to a smile.

"Another time, Gaara-san," Sasuke turning his head away from Gaara, then looking at him straight in the eyes said stonily , "after the mission." The silent promise passed between them.

Nothing more needed to be said between them.

Gaara watched Sasuke join his teammates. The girl took it a little too well and Gaara saw her concentration slip immediately afterwards. Disgusted, he left.

X.x.X

Sakura looked up to look at Sasuke when he stopped besides her. Naruto lay a ways off, sleeping in the grass. They had decided to take a short break.

"Hey, Sasuke! Where were you?" Sakura smiled at him, in what she hoped was a sweet smile.

"Around," was Sasuke's short reply. He stood staring off into the forest, a deep frown creasing his brow.

"Oh. O.k. then," Sakura said, upset, she stared at her hands, at a loss of words. _Why does he always do that!? _Her hands formed two hard angry fists. Then they relaxed as she thought about him. _Sasuke can't be as hard as he acts. No one can be that angry all the time._ Content with that Sakura went over to Naruto to wake him up.

Naruto sat up as if newly risen from the dead, he stretched and yawned.

He immediately spotted Sasuke, "your turn. Shuriken target practice. You're the target." Naruto was thoroughly enjoying himself now.

"Fine," was all Sasuke said and placed himself in the middle of the clearing, patiently waiting for Sakura. Sakura hesitated momentarily and then took out shuriken.

She threw the shuriken at him cleanly and accurately, always aiming for a vital spot. This surprised Sasuke, and as she threw a particularly nasty barrage of shuriken his head chose that exact to split open in pain as he did dodged. He flinched and managed to get out of the way.

Sakura was staring at him in an odd mixture of worry and fascination, "oh, Sasuke I'm so sorry."

Sasuke felt at that moment the heat of his blood as it trickled down his arm, his shirt sleeve had been torn and broken the flesh underneath. He couldn't help but feel a little shocked.

"It's just a sleeve. Let's keep going," he said gruffly. She did as told but the glimpse of the shinobi she was nothing but a moment in time. She was back to her old self, and the practice quickly became nothing more then a chore to him.

X.x.X

Sakura sat beneath the shade of tree, feeling the weight of the scroll she held in her hands. She had forgotten for a blissful while that she had to do a mission with Gaara (not including the incident with Sasuke._ How did I manage **that**?_ She had thought to herself.)

There was nothing else to do so Sakura broke the seal from her scroll and unrolled it, curiosity and dread mixed in equal measure. What kind of mission could the Hokage think they needed or wanted Gaara for?

The mission looked fairly simple, information retrieval from a village near Suna. _So that explains Gaara_. Sakura thought, but it didn't make her like it one bit. All that it would be was a simple information gathering about recent shinobi activity. _That seems fairly reasonable for us._ Then she noticed the rank of the mission. _An A rank mission? Great, we have the possibility of dying. Well we would have that with Gaara anyways._

"So how come you didn't tell me you were leaving on a mission?" an annoyed voice said by Sakura's ear. Ino was looking curiously over Sakura's shoulder, reading the scroll with interest.

"You don't need to know everything Ino," Sakura said, equally annoyed. Ino sat down besides Sakura without much ceremony, and gave Sakura a sidelong glance. "So… I hear you got stuck with the sand nin."

"How—."

"Naruto," Ino said, interrupting, giving Sakura the you-should-have-known look. "It's Gaara right?"

"Yea," Sakura said quietly. Ino noticed the way that Sakura's whole body stiffened at the mention of the name and how her eyes had gone opaque, but decided to say nothing about it.

Standing up Ino spoke good naturedly, "come on Sakura, I'll treat you to some miso. After all you leave tomorrow." However Ino didn't want to see the emptiness of Sakura's eyes, they were so different from what she was use to. Not right.

Sakura couldn't resist the mention of a free meal. Ino was relieved when Sakura enthusiastically agree.

X.x.X

Sakura woke up dark eyed and more groggy then she had ever felt before. She had had nightmare after nightmare during the night, all involving Gaara in one way or another. As she looked out the window dawn had barely started to cling to the sky. She knew that she would get no more sleep today and decided to go to the gates and wait for everyone else there. Her things were all ready from the night before.

She couldn't help but yawn as she got to the gates. It would be another hour or two before they were to leave. As she stood in front of the gates, with only the slowly rising sun for company, she heard someone arrive. She turned around smiling, thinking it was Sasuke.

The smile on her face went sour as her eyes fell on Gaara.

"You," was all she could say as she looked into his eyes, he was just feet away from her. He gazed at her without any sort of expression on his face. Then an anger that was becoming all too familiar to her flared up inside her. "Why didn't you kill me?"

The question had been gnawing at her ever since their last encounter. He had certainly looked insane enough to do it. Somehow she _knew _he would have done it, and without regret.

His face did not change, and they continued to look into each others eyes, staring the other down. Sakura refused to be afraid of him, she had hated that completely helpless feeling, and she had fully expected to die and had resigned herself when she saw that there would be no escaping her death. It was an odd feeling for her, something completely foreign, it had made her want to be a shinobi all the more.

"So who's wining the staring contest?" Naruto asked as he appeared before them in a cloud of smoke, separating one from the other. The tension burst like a bubble and it was only then that Sakura took her eyes away from Gaara's.

Sasuke chose that time to appear as well and he quickly assessed the situation. Gaara acknowledged his presence with a look. Sasuke glared at him, daring him to fight him.

"We should go, since were all here," Naruto said uncertainly as he looked between the three. He sensed the tension between Sakura, Gaara, and Sasuke, yet didn't know what to make of it.

Sasuke walked toward the gates without the words and not knowing what else to do Naruto followed. Sakura turned around to go as well and stopped when he heard Gaara's voice.

"Your eyes." The voice was low, and made to carry only to her.

Puzzled Sakura turned her head to look at him. He was looking at her with some of the madness that she had seen before, but this was held in check.

"They were composed to death," he began, "but you also refused to give me the satisfaction of your fear. Once… that was the blood I craved the most." Sakura shuddered at the words.

His voice became distant, and his face was slowly starting to become undone, "I've killed countless. Once, the fear in their eyes was enough for me. It gave me meaning, just to see that in their eyes. Then it became mundane, and I found that those that denied me the fear were the ones worth watching bleed. They made me feel alive."

Sakura stepped back reflexively. He had that insane smile on his lips again as he stared at her with an almost hungry look.

"It has been a long time since I've seen those eyes," Gaara said, his sand unconsciously swirling around him in such a way that reminded Sakura of ribbons.

Without his usual flashiness and need to show off Naruto appeared in front of Sakura, he looked furiously at Gaara. Sasuke was at Gaara's back, a kunai carefully aimed at the base his neck.

"I said let's go," Naruto said firmly through bared teeth.

As Gaara swept past Sakura toward the gates his sand returned to the gourd. Naruto turned toward Sakura.

"Are you o.k., Sakura-chan?" he asked, worried about her.

"I'm fine Naruto," then without meaning to she snapped out at Naruto, "I don't always need for you save me! Either of you!" With that she followed Gaara example and went out toward the gates.

Naruto scratched his head, watching Sakura's retreating back, "what do you think that was about?"

"Who knows?" Sasuke said not really interested as he walked off. Naruto gave a final exasperated shake of his head before doing the same. Already this mission looked like it was going to be harder then it should be.

**End Chapter Seven**

AN: Another chapter finished. Yay! Slow isn't it:) I just don't want to make it fast as other fic's sometimes do. And I won't make Gaara OOC, I love him just the way he is. :) Until next time.


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